If you are looking to make some changes in the new year and you want to start now, here are 5 habits you can make RIGHT NOW to get started on the right foot. If your goals are to be more productive, lose weight, eat healthier, or make a big change in your life, these 5 habits can help you achieve all of the above. Let’s start together now!
1. Wake up 30 minute earlier every day!
If you love sleep like me, this is a tough one. I make my own schedule and for the last few years, I have made it a habit of turning off my alarm clock every day and waking up to my own biological clock. Well….that doesn’t exactly help me achieve my goals. Just 30 minutes earlier can give you a little extra time to get stuff done: do a 30 minute workout, get some alone time to meditate or do breathwork, read a book, get started on your work day earlier, etc. There are so many things you can do with that extra 30 minutes and it’s a pretty easy thing to accomplish with some planning and careful execution.
2. Drink 16 ounces of water first thing in the morning
This one is a tough one for me. I am a coffee fanatic and there is nothing better in the morning than grabbing a nice hot cup of coffee. The last few mornings I have forced myself to drink 16 ounces of water before I am allowed my first cup of coffee. I go even further though and make myself drink another 16 ounces of water before my second cup of coffee. And it is incredibly beneficial. I am embarrassed to say that I walk around every day CHRONICALLY dehydrated. I know better but I still don’t drink enough. Getting in 32 ounces of water before I even start my morning routine has helped me continue to hydrate throughout the day. Water flavoring? Yes, I sure do. I try to stay away from sucralose and aspartame and choose stevia or monk fruit flavoring when I can but the flavor definitely helps me get in my ounces.
3. Follow the T.I.M.E. acronym
I am most certainly not going to take credit for this as I learned it from Jay Shetty. Do something every day that incorporates elements of Thankfulness, Insight, Meditation, and Exercise. In other words, practice gratitude, learn something new, meditate or do some type of breath work, and workout or find some way to move your body. If you can incorporate these elements into each and every one of your days, there’s no telling what you could accomplish!
4. Make yourself a list
Make yourself a list…or multiple lists for that matter. Specifically, first thing in the morning, make a list of all the things you want to accomplish for the day. They can be super small (get the mail) or bigger (write a chapter of your book), but make sure they follow the SMART goals - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound. I do this every day and it really helps me stay on track, productive, and the little victories always make me smile.
5. Be kind and let that shit go!
First off, spend a little time having empathy for those around you. Put yourself in their shoes before getting angry, frustrated, or irritable. Most of the time what you are getting upset about isn’t really that big of a deal and it would serve you better to just let it go. Along those lines, remember that much of what we get upset about is completely out of our control. We can save ourselves a lot of stress and heart ache if we just let that shit go!
